Unfortunately the devs are very unlikely to make any major changes to game mechanics anytime soon, but if there is ever an Automation 2 I hope to see something like that.
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As cool as that sounds, its probably too complex and doesnt really add much to the game other than more work.
Maybe Automation will one day inspire more “hardcore” games of the same ilk then? I’ve wanted a good car design game forever and now I want another one.
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There used to be a transmission designer in a test version of the game running on the old kee engine, but it ended up being cut since it ultimately added too much effort into something that didn’t return much to the overall car. That all got simplified into the transmission tab that currently exists in the game.
Good stuff @mcp928, it is as @thecarlover points out though: not only is the car and engine designer considered feature complete (apart from more forced induction options), but we also had a gearbox / transmission designer in a very old version of Automation… and removed it because it wasn’t fun. We most likely would be able to come up with something more playable and enjoyable today, but that would take a lot of effort and further take away from developer- and player-time spent on the name-giving tycoon part of the game. 
If there ever is something like “Automation 2” we’d revisit the possibility of a transmission designer.
Cheers
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I dont think an-all out transmission designer would be a bad feature at all, but I think what a lot of people on the forum really want is tuning individual gears
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@Killrob, You have an excellent point, that is why I suggested the “simple mode.” You would select materials just to deepen the simulation (price/feature) since they would affect the manufacturing process without getting too technical. The advanced mode just lets us tinkerers tinker. I base this on the inclusion “presets” menu in forced induction. Not perfect, but good enough. Afterwards you can tweak to your hearts content.
Mostly I just started this thread since the engine designer is extremely robust, and the trans designer is… not. It just bothers me that with the engine being so detailed, then having a 7.35 rear end with a 5:1 first, and 0.75:1 overdrive. I’m just too pedantic I guess. It would seem more balanced to me.
On a foot note, maybe open a market where companies (players) can buy/sell/trade major components?
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Having a simple mode and a pro mode is significantly worse than just having just the pro mode. “Mode Options” are terrible for development, and a common argument from players not thinking about the consequences for development it is all the new features plus all the old features, and making them work together flawlessly. I’d blame no one for suggesting it, but it is a terrible suggestion no matter the topic really hehe.
Edit: you mention the presets, they are quite different in how they work, just setting parameters of the “pro options”. If that is what you mean then yes, that would be required, but that also adds dev time.
The only components that you will be able to buy and sell are engines, as they are a fully fleshed out “product”.
Cheers!
At least we can do that via the Beam files when exporting, though it doesn’t seem to change the final gear. That’s the only thing you need to pick in Automation and that you cannot change.
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You are correct in your edit of my meaning. I understand the dev time argument but I maintain the transmission section is lacking in comparison to the depth and excellence of the rest of the game. Using a set of defaults (basically the current system) for basic mode and allowing the option of tweaking would seem more approachable from a programming standpoint. I know I introduced myself as a mechanic, but my degree is in game design (it didn’t go well), so I understand both sides of this thing. That, and frankly the suspension tuning section exists, so if that can be done gearboxes seem highly plausible.
I am by no means trying to force a point, or say I know better than the devs. After all they are successful game designers. I just understand the importance of transmission design in an automobile.
Where is that option at? I would like to be able to edit gears at least. Thanks.
Not an option, just fiddling around with the camso_engine.jbeam file with notepad plus (it’s within the .rar that forms the exported car. You just copy in out of the .rar, change whatever you want, and then drag it back in.)
Relevant lines are:
"gearbox": {
//https://wiki.beamng.com/ManualGearbox
//"gearDamageThreshold":3000, //Multiplier for tolerance to smashing gears (no clutch + mismatched rpm)
"gearRatios":[-2.70, 0, 2.50, 1.55, 1.25, 0.95, 0.75],
"friction": 0, //Constant friction torque on input shaft
"gearboxNode:":["engine0"], //node used to play gear damage sound
First one is the final gear ratio, no idea what the 0 is, and then are the individual gears. This is an example of a 1952 sports car I exported. Yes, that’s right. 5 gears.
Like mentioned, changing the value of the final gear doesn’t change anything for me. Changing/adding/removing the others does.
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@Private_Miros
Awesome, thanks. You have solved one of my major issues with the game, wacky gear ratios. I can always trick the game into giving me a good final drive pre-export, then tune to something realistic in the console later.
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I’ve known about this method for a while, I would just prefer editing this in-game rather than screwing around with car files
Edit: 0 is probably a placeholder for neutral
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Then the first one will be reverse, and then there is either no final gear or it’s somewhere else.
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Yes. 0 is for N
I just got a terrible idea from this: make a regera-type thing with a super long 1st and reverse gear
I made a handy sheet for converting irl end gearing into the Automation “always ends with 0.75” gearing.
Lemme see if I can find it again…
RedsAutomationWorkbook.zip (8.6 KB)
There, found it.
also included is some power conversion figures for the 60’s american muscle rated at Gross HP to the correct Net HP or automation HP (at least an estimate for it)
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["shaft", "rearDriveshaft", "gearbox", 1 ],
["differential", "rearDiff", "rearDriveshaft", 1, {"diffType":"lsd", "gearRatio":3.31, "diffTorqueSplit":0.50}],
//https://wiki.beamng.com/Differential
//needed values to tune diff behavior
//locked specific - nothing needed, auto calc now
Final drive ratio can be found in the differential section , under “gearRatio”. What you were adjusting why you didn’t notice any changes was the reverse gear ratio.
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